Parker Hannifin donates $1.5 million to Cleveland State University for research project

Parker Hannifin Corp. has pledged $1.5 million to Cleveland State University for research in human motion and control.

A primary objective of the research is to develop new technology for prosthetics and powered orthotics. Dr. Antonie (Ton) van den Bogert, an internationally renowned researcher in biomechanics, has been named the Parker Hannifin Endowed Chair in Human Motion and Control and will begin work this fall in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at CSU's Fenn College of Engineering.

"This investment represents a long-term partnership between Cleveland State and Parker Hannifin," said Jerzy Sawicki, interim vice president for research at CSU. "The Parker Hannifin Chair will play a fundamental role in the development of a research enterprise of national and global significance in the area of human motion and control."

The endowment includes funding for a new laboratory in human motion, including advanced treadmills, motion sensors and three-dimensional imaging equipment, all aimed at developing improved methods to study human movement and replicate healthy limbs in prosthetics and orthotics. Dr. van den Bogert is best known for his innovative work analyzing human movement and the development of computer simulation methods to study the effects of neuromuscular control and mechanical devices on human movement.

He has received several scientific awards as well as a Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his contributions to the development of 3D human animation. Dr. van den Bogert is the President of the International Society of Biomechanics. His career started at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands with groundbreaking work on the movement of horses. He went on to become a faculty member at the University of Calgary in Canada, where he specialized in the mechanics of sports performance and sports injuries in humans.

Dr. van den Bogert continued his work on sports injuries and orthopedics at the Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland Clinic. He founded Orchard Kinetics LLC, a company dedicated to research and innovation in biomechanics.

"The Parker Hannifin Endowed Chair makes it possible to implement a long-term plan that will make Cleveland State a world leader in the development of technology for sports and rehabilitation," van den Bogert said. "I am especially looking forward to having a partner in Parker Hannifin that can bring this research into the marketplace and to the people who need it most."